The present subject matter relates generally to eco-friendly liquid packaging containers.
Currently, the world uses approximately 200,000,000,000 plastic bottles and roughly the same number of aseptic package containers a year. Worldwide, on average, only 15% of the plastic bottles are recycled. Further, recycled bottles in the USA account for only 20-29% of the total recycled material according to the American Plastics Council. The non-recycled bottles end in landfills or as uncollected litter.
For every one ton of plastic that is recycled or reduced, roughly 2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are saved. One ton of recycled plastic saves 5,774 kilowatts of electricity and 685 gallons of oil according to the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. In addition, replacing 3,700 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, a popular plastic used in bottles, saves one barrel of petrol.
Notwithstanding attempts to reduce the amount of plastic used in plastic bottles, the average 16 ounce (oz.) plastic bottle weighs approximately 16 grams. The lightest available 16 oz. plastic bottle weighs approximately 9.2 grams. However, such a light plastic bottle requires expensive equipment to produce.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new product that is a sustainable and eco-friendly solution that helps lessen the environmental impact of packaging beverages. In addition, there is a need for a product that decreases the greenhouse effect, reduces the need for more landfill space, and uses mostly renewable materials. The product needs to be easily mass-produced, require a small investment and production space, have a production that may be scalable, and a competitive price with the standard plastic bottles and other liquid container packages.